Alignment jig for electric screw driver or the like

ABSTRACT

An alignment jib having a mounting portion secured to an electrically powered rotary tool and an abutment portion carried thereby for relative rectilinear axial movement to maintain the tool perpendicular to a work surface during the operation thereof.

United States Patent 1 1 Kissane 1 51 Jan. 2, 1973 [54] ALIGNMENT JIGFOR ELECTRIC SCREW DRIVER OR THE LIKE [75] Inventor: Richard W. Kissane,St. Louis County, Mo. 63131 [73] Assignee: Speed Fastener, Inc., St.Louis, Mo.

[22] Filed: Dec. 3, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 94,921

[52] US. Cl ..408/1l2 [51] Int. Cl. ..B23b 45/14 [58] Field of Search..408/l 12, 110, 95

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Fried ..408/95 2,997,9008/1961 Pugsley ..i..40s/9s 2,151,205 3/1939 Hawn ..40s/110 3,065,654 1H1962 Critelli et al ..408/1 12 Primary Examiner-Gil WeidenfeldAttorney-Haverstock & Heywood [57] ABSTRACT An alignment jib having amounting portion secured to an electrically powered rotary tool and anabutment portion carried thereby for relative rectilinear axial movementto maintain the tool perpendicular to a work surface during theoperation thereof.

2 Claims 4 Drawing Figure BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This inventionrelates generally to electrical rotary tools, and more particularly toimprovements in alignment means therefor.

In the use of electric screw drivers, drills and like rotary tools inindustry, commercial construction and do-it-yourself" home projects, amajor problem encountered by skilled craftsmen as well as amateurs isproper tool alignment to assure that screw fasteners applied or boreholes formed are square or normal to the work surface. The problem isparticularly accute in applying screw fasteners of the self-tapping typeto assemble metal parts since proper seating of the screw head in fullannular bearing engagement against the metal work surface may becritical. In addition, the tendancy of a screw fastener or drill bit towalk" or move laterally from the desired application point may causesurface scoring or misalignment and perforation of such metal parts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly, the invention comprises an alignmentjig fastened to an electrical rotary tool and having a work surfaceabutment portion with a planar surface extending normal to therotational axis of the tool and being relatively axially movable in suchnormal plane.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an alignmentjig for an electrical rotary tool that will maintain the working end ofsuch tool perpendicular to a work surface during operation, and whichwill assure positive application of screw fasteners, drill bits or thelike normal thereto Another object is to provide an alignment jig whichwill prevent the movement of screw fasteners, drill bits or the likelaterally along the work surface away from the application point due towalking or slippage.

A further object is to provide an alignment jig for use with all typesof electrical rotary tools and which can be easily and quickly affixedthereto and removed therefrom.

A still further object is to provide an improved alignment jig forelectric rotary tools that is relatively easy to construct, assemble anduse and which is compact, durable and provides accurate alignment.

These and still other objects and advantages will become readilyapparent hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For purposes of illustration anddisclosure, the inven-. tion is embodied in the parts and in thearrangement or combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.In the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification andwherein like numerals refer to like parts:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of an alignment jig embodying the presentinvention as secured to an electric rotary tool, shown in broken lines,and in operative position relative to a work surface,

FIG. 2 is a top plan view, partly in section, taken along line 2-2ofFlG. 1,

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the alignmentjig embodying theinvention, and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternate form of mounting collar forthe alignment jig.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS axis and has a chuck. 16 at itsworking end for releaseably holding screw fasteners 17. It is believedthat such electrical toolsll are well-known and further elaboration forenvironmental purposes is deemed unnecessary.

For purposes of illustration the tool 1 1 and alignment jig 10 are shownin operative condition as applying screw fasteners 17 to secure a metalpanel siding 18 to metal purlons 19 or like structural framing members.A typical screw fastener 17 is of the self-drilling and selftapping typehaving a threaded shank 21 and a cutting tip 22, and an annular flangeor shoulder 23 is formed at the head 24 for seating against the planarouter work surface 25 of the metal panel 18. It is important that suchscrew fasteners 17 be applied perpendicular or normal to the worksurface 25 so that the shoulder 23 is in full annular bearing engagementor the fastener may score, dimple, crimp or buckle the panel 18 and mayeven cut through the panel so that it is not securely assembled to thepurlon 19.

Referring to FIG. 3, the alignment jig 10 comprises a mounting portion27 having a central split collar 28 with a bore wall 29 to receive thespindle journal sleeve 15 of the tool housing 12 and depending lugs 30with a set screw 31 forming a'clamping means for releasably securing thecollar 28 on the sleeve 15. Opposite radially extending arms 32 areformed integral with the collar 2'8 and parallel guide bore 33 areprovided in predetermined spaced relation extending through the arms 32between the front and rear surfaces 34 and 35 thereof, the guide bores33 extending parallel with the rotational axis of the spindle 14 whenthe mounting portion 27 is assembled on the sleeve 15. It will be notedthat the axial dimension of the guide bores 33 between the surfaces 34and 35 of the arms 32 is substantial, as will be described more fully.

The alignment jig 10 also comprises an abutment portion 37 having arigid bearing plate 38 of discontinuous, open-sided or U-shapedconfiguration defining an axial clearance area 39 for tool operationbetween laterally spaced free end portions of the bearing plate 38. Thebearing plate 38 has a planar front surface 40 to which a resilient pador cushion 41 is affixed. A pair of guide rods 42 are rigidly secured tothe bearing plate 38, such as by bolts 43, press fit or the like, andextend perpendicular to the bearing plate and rearwardly therefrom inpredetermined spaced parallel relation. The guide rods 42 are slidablyreceived in the guide bores 33 of the mounting portion 27, and thesubstantial axial dimension of the guide bores 33 maintains the parallelaxial relationship of the guide rods 42 to the rotational axis of thetool so that the planar front surface 40 of the bearing plate 38 isalways perpendicular thereto. The guide rods 42 are retained inassembled position on the mounting portion 27 by C-shaped snap rings 43'positioned in grooves 44 rearwardly of the rear surface 35 of the arms32, and normally in abutment therewith by the yieldable biasing actionof spring members 45 carried on the guide rods 42 and being disposedbetween the bearing plate 38 and the front surface 34 of the mountingportion arms 32. In other words, the abutment portion 37 is biased bythe spring means 45 away from the mounting portion 27, and the springsexert a sufficient resistance to yieldable movement to provide firmsurface abutment between the bearing plate 38, cushion 41 and worksurface 25.

lt will be readily apparent that the parallelism of the guide means,including the guide rods 42 and guide bores 33, to the rotational axisof the tool 11 and the perpendicular relationship of the bearing platesurface 40 thereto, assures that the working end 16 and screw fastener17 or the like will be normal to the work surface 25 when the abutmentportion 37 is firmly seated thereagainst.

The tool 11 is operated in a conventional manner by actuating the motorand advancing the tool toward the work surface 25 in the direction ofthe arrow in FIG. 2 to cause the screw fastener 17 to bite into themetal panel 18 and purlon l9 and seat the annular flange firmly againstthe work surface. The cushion 41 not only prevents the alignment jig 10from marring the work surface 25, but provides a frictional engagementto obviate lateral tool movement due to walking or slippage incident toskewing of the screw fastener on the work surface.

FIG. 4 illustrates a modified alignment jig mounting portion 127 inwhich the arms 132 are angularly disposed at a 90 angle or less tofacilitate tool operation in corners. It will be apparent that theabutment portion (not shown) will be of similarly formed constructionand the remaining construction of such modified alignment jig may beidentical with the embodiment already described. Furthermore, themodified form of alignment jig for corner application of screw fasteners17 can be quickly and easily substituted for the other embodiment, orutilized in place thereof for all types of rotary alignment operations.

What is claimed is:

1. An alignment jig for a. portable, electrically powered, rotary toolhaving a housing with a stationary cylindrical portion adjacent to aworking end with a rotational axis adapted for actuation normal to theplane of a work surface, said alignment jig comprising a mountingportion including a split central collar with a cylindrical bore adaptedto concentrically receive said cylindrical portion of said tool housingand means for removably securing said central collar thereon, saidmounting portion also including spaced arms extending radially outwardlyfrom said central collar, an abutment portion including a rigid bearingplate axially spaced from said mounting portion and having a planarsurface on the remote side therefrom with resilient cushion meansextending over substantially the entire planar surface for yieldable,frictional engagement with the work surface, said bearing plate having adiscontmuous open-sided configuration with laterally spaced end portionsaligned axially with the spaced arms of said mounting portion anddefining through the openside of the bearing plate an axial clearancearea for visibly accommodating'operation of the rotary tool and guidemeans between the abutment and mounting portions including guide boresof substantial axial length formed in said spaced arms of said mountingportion and extending parallel with the cylindrical bore of said centralcollar and the rotational axis of said working end of said tool, saidguide means also including guide rods having first ends fixedly securedto the laterally spaced end portions of said abutment portion andextending in spaced parallel relation away from and normal to the planarsurface thereof, said guide rods being slidably positioned in said guidebores and having second ends with fixed abutment means adjacent theretoon the opposite side of said mounting portion from said abutmentportion, and spring means positioned on said guide rods between saidmounting and abutment portions to normally bias them apart.

2. The alignment jig according to claim 1, in which a pair of radiallyextending spaced arms are formed on said central collar at an angle ofabout or less.

1. An alignment jig for a portable, electrically powered, rotary toolhaving a housing with a stationary cylindrical portion adjacent to aworking end with a rotational axis adapted for actuation normal to theplane of a work surface, said alignment jig comprising a mountingportion including a split central collar with a cylindrical bore adaptedto concentrically receive said cylindrical portion of said tool housingand means for removably securing said central collar thereon, saidmounting portion also including spaced arms extending radially outwardlyfrom said central collar, an abutment portion including a rigid bearingplate axially spaced from said mounting portion and having a planarsurface on the remote side therefrom with resilient cushion meansextending over substantially the entire planar surface for yieldable,frictional engagement with the work surface, said bearing plate having adiscontinuous open-sided configuration with laterally spaced endportions aligned axially with the spaced arms of said mounting portionand defining through the open-side of the bearing plate an axialclearance area for visibly accommodating operation of the rotary tooland guide means between the abutment and mounting portions includingguide bores of substantial axial length formed in said spaced arms ofsaid mounting portion and extending parallel with the cylindrical boreof said central collar and the rotational axis of said working end ofsaid tool, said guide means also including guide rods having first endsfixedly secured to the laterally spaced end portions of said abutmentportion and extending in spaced parallel relation away from and normalto the planar surface thereof, said guide rods being slidably positionedin said guide bores and having second ends with fixed abutment meansadjacent thereto on the opposite side of said mounting portion from saidabutment portion, and spring means positioned on said guide rods betweensaid mounting and abutment portions to normally bias them apart.
 2. Thealignment jig according to claim 1, in which a pair of radiallyextending spaced arms are formed on said central collar at an angle ofabout 90* or less.